Page 17 - Course Handbook 2023

What should I practise now?
Unit 4: Brain Shaping
Why some young people struggle more than others

SKILLS TO PRACTISE / STRENGTHEN RAG

EXPERIENCES SHAPE THE BRAIN

1 Teach everyone why some children struggle more than others. Teach them the ‘Balance of Life’
model and what can make us more vulnerable to stressors and stop our brain from creating such

strong brain pathways. Teach children how this makes a difference to how we manage in school
and at home. Teach children about neurodiversity and how brains are not all the same. Teaching all
of this to children will make it easier for children to be empathic when a child is struggling. It will

also help children to support their peers more effectively. When other children do not understand,
it can lead them to be scared of the child. It also causes children to become labelled negatively and

leads to the emergence of negative self-concepts in children who struggle.

2 Make sure children who are struggling do not feel blamed, bad or stupid. Explain that there are
genuine reasons why they are struggling – they are not bad – but it is really important they work

with us to develop the skills to do better (high expectations, high support).

3 Use the language of helpful/unhelpful & finding it easy/difficult – not choices or ‘bad’ behaviour.

4 When children are struggling, re-shift their Balance of Life by working with them to plan helpful
ways to fill their 5C Needs and set a Pathway to Independence. Plan with children rather than

doing to children so they learn the tools to make positive changes in the future if things aren’t
going so well for them.